Rural Special Educators and the Need for Facilitative Skills

Abstract

Rural special educators take on many roles in their positions due to fewer professionals in the field. Special educators are responsible for facilitating their IEP meetings and for completing all paperwork necessary to stay in compliance with the law. Most conflict in special education centers around the development of the IEP which causes contention within the IEP meeting. Having tools and strategies to run effective IEP meetings is essential and, with these, rural special educators are able to prevent conflict and bring the team closer to consensus. Identifying the primary source of conflict aids in the understanding of a situation. Ensuring meaningful parent participation supports collaboration and builds solid relationships between educators and parents. The resources provided in this chapter will minimize the burden rural special educators face by reducing the time involved to address conflict, giving more time to instruct and build relationships, ultimately benefiting our students with disabilities.